There are a range of new cocktails to try at The Counting House, in Cleethorpes

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There was a time when getting a drink in Cleethorpes would have offered about as much choice as a cheap all-inclusive on the Costa del Sol.

A few beers, a few spirits, the usual fizzy stuff and the usual hot water brews. These days though, it’s a different story on the Costa del Cleethorpes.

At the heart of the resort’s swankiest corner, The Counting House stands as an archetype of everything the increasingly classy Sea View Street represents.

It’s one of those chameleon venues changing its colours on cue, just as at ease serving up a relaxing afternoon tea on a Wednesday afternoon as it is packed to the rafters with the more discerning bar crawler on a Saturday night, for whom the deafening, sweaty dungeons on the other side of Cleethorpes are populated by too many people with post-2000 birthdates for their liking.

There’s chic vintage styling, a novel theme nodding at the building’s banking heritage, a bar where bottles of trendy spirits vastly outweigh beer pumps, and a menu targeting that populist fine-dining sweet spot – hearty and mass market but with an eye for theatricality.

The Counting House's TV and movie-themed cocktails

James Bond - The Vesper Martini

Pulp Fiction - Five Dollar Shake

Anchorman - Ron Burgundy Scotch

American Pie - Apple Pie

Sex & The City - Cosmopolitan

Only Fools & Horses - Del Boy's Pina Colada

Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas - Singapore Sling

The Wolf Of Wall Street - Wall Street Martini

The Big Bang Theory - Raj's Appletini

The Breakfast Club - Cucumber Martini

It was that promise of showmanship that led to a friend and I deciding to head out for an evening meal that would hopefully have a bit of pizazz about it.

We were hungry, but what really drew our attention was the recent launch of The Counting House’s movie-themed cocktails.

The Five Dollar Shake at The Counting House, in Cleethorpes (Image: Grimsby Telegraph)

I’d recently been on a trip to Universal Studios in Florida where, as many will know, you’re invited to “ride the movies”. But aside from Homer Simpson’s favourite beer and some sugary concoction from Harry Potter, there’s not an awful lot of drinking the movies so Cleethorpes now has one up on Orlando there.

Anyone who’s been to The Counting House will know its drinks menu is about as thick as the most recent Yellow Pages but the new celluloid-inspired offerings take pride of place on the first page and come on the back of some social media fanfare.

The Wall Street Martini at The Counting House, in Cleethorpes (Image: Grimsby Telegraph)

There’s ten to choose from, and it’s 80s and 90s pop culture aplenty with cocktails either directly inspired by drinks that have appeared in various films and TV series, to a few that have taken some creative liberties.

So if you’ve ever fancied trying the Vesper Martini invented on the fly by James Bond in Casino Royale, you’re in luck.

I especially liked the sound of sampling a Five-Dollar Shake (£5 - so about $6.50) to see if Vincent Vega was right to question the price tag in Pulp Fiction.

I ordered that and a Wall Street Martini as a sort of clear-liquid chaser. Perhaps excessive for a school night but my friend was driving and I could hardly claim to have tried the new booze if I’d only had one.

The Dillinger burger at The Counting House, in Cleethorpes (Image: Grimsby Telegraph)

Well, Travolta was right, but not about the price. It is a pretty flipping good milkshake. Served either Martin Lewis (Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, not the money man) or Amos ‘n’ Andy – meaning with white or brown chocolate – it’s one of those drinks you know you’ll get again the second it hits your tongue.

Much smoother and less dense than a normal milkshake, it’s exceptionally creamy with both Bailey’s and half-and-half but the other flavours are easily distinguished including the divine JD Honey so, unlike the movie version, they do (almost) put bourbon in it. Better than a vanilla Coke, that’s for sure.

As for the Wall Street Martini, I had that after the food which, in all this boozy buzz, I haven’t even mentioned yet.

The Hatton Garden burger at The Counting House, in Cleethorpes (Image: Grimsby Telegraph)

I’ll start by saying, if I’d known before I went, I’d have gone earlier on and motored in for the very new 1950s Drive-in Afternoon Tea to maintain some sort of thematic consistency.

As it sounds, it’s an American twist on a very British tradition, keeping the prim and proper sandwiches and scones, and sitting them next to bold Stateside fare like a shrimp taco, bacon and cheese loaded fries, cinnamon waffles and a blueberry muffin to name but a few of the treats on the tower.

Even at £17 per person it sounds great but, only being available between 12pm and 3pm, I instead went for a burger. If that's not your cup of tea, there's everything from belly pork to katsu chicken curry, salads, pizzas that are two for £17 on Tuesdays, a BBQ grill range and much more.

Much of the menu references banking history so I was intrigued as to what could be squeezed in between a brioche bun to inspire one to be called The Hatton Garden (£11).

Some more of the new cocktails at The Counting House (Image: The Counting House)

A bit like four elderly blokes coming together to rob millions from a safe, the panko and almond fried chicken, smoked poacher cheese, lettuce, pickled cucumber and onion proved a successful combination of classic ingredients, especially the veg which offered a satisfying crunch. Even the brioche bun failed to fall apart as they usually do.

My friend went for the Dillinger Burger (£12) for more bank robbery fun which is essentially the same thing but with beef instead of chicken. Again, he was impressed and, in an area increasingly flooded with ‘gourmet’ spins on fast food, to stand out is always praise indeed.

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And so, onto that final cocktail. Vodka and Martini Extra Dry, always a sharp combination that never fails to quickly boost the blood alcohol level. At £7, I don’t think I could have afforded to sink one every few minutes until I passed out as Matthew McConaughey would have it but, then it wasn’t my first day on Wall Street, it was my second taste of The Counting House and it just keeps on getting better.

The Counting House is located at 11 Sea View Street, Cleethorpes, DN35 8EX. It is open seven days a week from 10am until 10pm (Monday-Thursday), midnight (Friday and Saturday) and 9pm (Sunday).